Unused $85 Victoria’s Secret handbag for $11? Calvin Klein denim jeans originally $70 and now $20? These are only a few examples of the new thrifting bandwagon which students have begun to jump on.
Buying and selling clothing items and other accessories on social media apps such as Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat is the new way to make bang for your buck.
Other items such as shoes and hats get sold too, but more frequently, it’s clothing items that attract more customers.
Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors alike have all participated in creating these accounts because it’s a quick and effective way to make money and helps clear up a lot of closet space.
“I sell my clothes at a low price because I think it benefits me and the customer and I can make a better profit. I also don’t have to waste my clothes and other people can get a use out of them,” sophomore Dani Villarroel said.
Rather than throwing old clothing away, this is a more beneficial opportunity to get rid of clothing you don’t wear anymore or that doesn’t fit. This is also known as upcycling. Upcycling is reselling used clothing at a good price while the quality of clothing is still intact.
By doing this, old wardrobe pieces do not have to be thrown away, which can be harmful. “I’m a big advocate for upcycling clothes. After I made my account, I saw many others like it too, and it was cool to see everyone doing the same thing,” Villarroel said.
Sophomore Hakim Idris made an Instagram account too, to get rid of outfit pieces he doesn’t wear anymore; his Instagram account has helped him make loads of money since he started. “I’ve gotten a lot of money since selling clothes on Instagram. I’ve made over $100 just selling expensive things I don’t ever wear, don’t like, or grew out of,” Idris said.
It only takes a couple days to gain the right follower build up until someone can start selling old clothing items. Once it starts you should be expecting to make a good amount per week. Without even realizing it, many people make $100 within just the first two weeks of making these accounts.
Buying clothing through social media is favored much more than shopping at a mall because it’s people from school who are selling the clothes to you, so you don’t have to make a time-consuming trip to the mall.
“It’s really easy. People just tell me by commenting or messaging me what they want. Then they just pay me at school the next day. I don’t have to worry about going to their house to give them the item or having to pay to ship the items to their house,” sophomore Lindsey Keyes said.
Students also prefer this method of online shopping rather than the more traditional way of online shopping because there’s no extra payment needed for shipping and there’s no worry about the delivery never making it to your house because the package is given to you at school.
Reselling your old clothing items this way is the 21st century shopping mall, but better and more convenient for many.